Three Ring Nighmare
by BlackandGoldVamp2123
Summary: This is my firs story on this site so, read, enjoy, and reviwe.
1. Chapter 1

Three Ring Nightmare

The lights nearly blinded me as the curtains parted just a few mere centimeters from my face. Confidently, I stepped forwards. I was far too conscious of the thousands of faces staring at me in my glittering silver and blue costume to be hesitant; they were waiting for me to screw up. I just knew it.

I held my head up high anyways. With the deafening music and the blinding lights, I could concentrate fully on my dance routine and lyrics, and ignore the crowd watching me. This was what I practiced alone in my trailer for. Adrenalin started coursing through my veins when I heard the bass line begin to pump out a wicked beat. Now it was my time to shine.

Opening my mouth, I took a deep breath and began to sing.

_Listen to the music,_

_Watch the flashing lights._

_The rides, the food, the three-ring-show,_

_The carnival is here tonight._

_Step in, step in,_

_Now don't be shy,_

_Take your seat,_

_Watch your acrobats fly!_

_We have thrills and shills._

_And games galore,_

_What else could you want?_

_Anything more?_

_Welcome, welcome,_

_In dark and in light,_

_Come in, enjoy,_

_Carnival! Carnival!_

_Is here tonight!_

The music died down but didn't fade away. The tune changed slightly, the key becoming a major instead of a minor. The crowd's cheering died down as I waved my hands for silence. "Welcome to the Carnival de Misterio!" I yelled out. Even with the microphone, my voice seemed small and mouse-like in comparison to the roar of the crowds.

"We love you, Luna!" several girls screamed. I sighed. They were part of an unofficial fan club that had been formed when the Carnival had been in London. They were insane about my singing, very literally.

"Thank you," I replied, hiding my mild disgust at their fanaticism behind a mask of buoyancy and happiness. "My name is Luna and I will be the announcer for this evening! Before we get to introducing the acts, I'd like to thank a few very important people who allowed us to make this amazing spectacle possible."

Going through the mild formalities allowed me to catch my breath. Finally, I smiled at the crowd, showing off my perfect, white teeth. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages," I announced, "May I introduce our troupe of tricksters and misfits, the Freak Show!"

The music began to get louder as the sideshow performers ran out on either side of me and took their places on the stage in front of me. The platform beneath my feet started to rise, so that the crowd could still hear me without seeing me so they could focus on the Freaks, and I began to sing once again.

_Turn all around_

_What do you see?_

_Misfits on the land and sea!_

_Freaks! Freaks!_

_Sit back and relax, we're here to please!_

_Tell me: does one catch your eye?_

_Step back, get ready;_

_We have a surprise!_

_Misfits and freaks, _

_In truth and in lies,_

_Playing up music,_

_Playing up lights,_

_We are the acrobats, _

_clowners and flies._

_Freaks! Freaks! _

_Welcome to our three-ring show!_

_Freaks! Freaks!_

_We are here to please you, you know!_

_Turn all around, _

_What do you see?_

_You see us,_

_On land and on sea!_

As the musical volume dimmed a bit, I began announcing the names of the performers in front of me. Pointing at the thin woman with tattoos all over her body, I called out her name: "Melinda!" And the strong man, balancing the Siamese twins on his back: "Rocko! Fred! Ted!"

I continued on in this fashion until all of the performers had been announced and had run back offstage. "And now, allow the clowns and juggling fools to entertain you while I get ready for the next act!" I shouted, my voice deafening with the amplification; I blew kisses at the crowd and winked at my fans, making them swoon. I turned around and jogged offstage just as the clowns and mimes were pedaling, motoring and cart-wheeling on.

I stepped into a large dressing room to see many faces.

"Luna! Awesome performance, as usual," I heard someone say. I looked around and saw Izzie.

"Thanks Izzie," I shouted and ran to the corner where my next costume was. My next costume was my blue spandex leotard with flames sequined in silver running up the legs and down the arms. I pulled my silver ballet slippers on and I went backstage to get ready for our performance: The Acrobatics.

When I felt my two partners step up beside me and take my hands, I was ready.


	2. Chapter 2

We jumped together

Ong We jumped together. They released my hands to grab the swinging bars and I closed my eyes as I free-fell into the net. The force of my landing gave me enough momentum to vault back up high enough to grab Gabriel's hand as he zoomed over me. My other partner, Caleb, twisted and released his bar as I swung from mine. It was a very narrow miss – barely a hair's breadth between us in midair – but he managed to grip Gabriel's hands as I gripped the bar he vacated for me.

The crowd cheered for us and my fangirls went wild. Safe that we were not going to fall, I gave the cue for the stagehands to remove the net. It had to be re-strung anyways; I'd noticed more give than it usually had and I very nearly missed the jump because of it.

I adjusted my grip on the bar and took a deep breath: It was my grand finale now, the time where I shone brightly as the only star on the stage. I saw Caleb being tossed onto the platform on the far left side and watched as Gabriel flipped off as well, narrowly missing a short drop and a sudden stop as he clung to the ledge. I had no time to let the crowd gasp and cheer for him as I started to build up speed and momentum.

Time stood still for an instant when I heard a sharp snap and felt the rope on the right side of my bar give way. I let out a loud shriek and clung to the suddenly vertical bar. The other trapeze was swinging back towards me and I used all of my strength to swing my legs up to grasp it.

"No, Luna!" my fangirls screamed; one of them fainted, I'm sure, but I was too preoccupied with my own imminent death to notice.

Below me, the stagehands were hastily unrolling the net; they were unsuccessful, to say the least. The net was unravelling and returning to a jumble of loose nylon ropes. I knew it had been woven too loose this time! I gasped when I felt the last rope on the trapeze I clutched with trembling hands begin to give way. My heart began thudding in my ears, deafening me to everything but my own fear. I swallowed hard and steadied my erratic emotionally.

"Okay," I coached myself. "You've got the second bar in your legs. That isn't going anywhere, even if the first bar falls. You can't be pulled down there as well."

I was trembling, but I knew what I had to do. The final rope snapped. The crowd shrieked in horror. I tightened my grip on the second trapeze with my legs and used the momentum the drop created to spin myself on the bar until I was sitting on it. I gripped the ropes and let out the breath I didn't know I'd been holding. I'd done it. I hadn't fallen and was sitting comfortably on the trapeze.

There was silence for a moment and then I was deafened by the roaring, raucous cheering of the crowd. I smiled and nodded slowly. I was alive. I was too damn frightened to talk or to move, but I was alive.

The trapeze jolted beneath me and before I could even draw the breath to scream, it dropped. Time literally stopped in that instant and I could see everyone and everything frozen in time. Indeed, three of my fangirls were passed out cold; the other seventeen were sobbing out of a seemingly empathetic fear for me. Gabriel and Caleb looked so stricken that I was ashamed at myself for being in trouble yet again.

A man rose up in front of me. He was floating somehow; I noticed he was wearing a dark satin jacket without a shirt underneath (he had a beautiful rose tattooed over his heart) and a pair of tight black leather pants. His eyes were a haunting violet colour that was impossible for ordinary human beings to accomplish and his hair was such a dark shade of black, it almost glowed in the dim light of the Big Top. I was in awe of him just by looking at him, and then he spoke.

"Take my hand," he commanded without sounding commanding. He held out a hand gloved in white velvet. "You will find death sooner than intended if you do not, Luna."

I looked down at the ground I was hovering over and then back up at him. I didn't have much of a choice, did I? Take his hand and face the repercussions later or ignore him now and die a horrible death splattered all over the dirt and my fanclub? Well, I don't think my fangirls would mind too terribly if they had a little piece of me, like an organ or chunk of flesh, to call their own, but I most certainly would. I reached out and grasped his hand in an iron grip.

Time began to move again and I dropped, but I didn't fall. I was suddenly in his arms, cradled close to him; he was carrying me as a husband would carry his new bride and I can only say it must have been awkward for him. I was all sweaty and disgustingly gross due to fear. And we weren't even in the air anymore. He was standing in my private trailer, not the communal dressing room all the women used during shows. I clung tighter to him and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm alive," I moaned happily.

"Yes, you're alive," he chuckled. He laid me down on my bed and covered me with the faded patchwork quilt my mother – God rest her soul – made for me when I was a baby. He pressed a soft kiss to my temple and brushed a few sweat-soaked strands of hair away from my forehead. "Sleep now, Luna. I shall watch over you."

As if by magic, my eyes began to drift shut and, within moments, I was fast asleep.


End file.
